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Calcutta University Readership Lectures. Some Problems of Indian Literature

1925

We have to be satisfied, if we can ascertain with a. greater or lesser degree of probabili4 the within which the oldest and most important literary worksmay be dated. * The first and the greatest and at the same time the molt 'difficult of all the difficult problems in the history, cif 'Indian thought, is that of the age of the Vedic The Veda stands at the head of Indian literature, not Only on ac [...] 6. Both the Briihmanas and the Upanishads need a long time for their development. 20 THE AGE OF THE VEDA 7. The close relationship between the languar the Vedic Sarphitits on the one hand and Awesta and Old Persian on the other, does not allow us to date the begin- ning of the Vedic period back into a hoary age of many thousands to say nothing of millions of years B. C. 8. On the other hand, the fa [...] This ethic4 system also knows the ideal of renunciation of the worldt--but qnly from the point of view of the A. 4ranut theory according to. which the Aryan has first to pass the stage of Brahmacarin, the student of the Veda, and of the house- holder (g►hastha) who founds a family, offers sacrifices, and honours the Bralunavas, before he is allowed to retire from this world as an hermit or an asceti [...] The two ethical ideas—the Airama ideal of the Brahma4- ism and the ascetic ideal are well-contrasted in one of the finest pieces of ascetic poetry—the pitaputrasariivAda dialogue betwegn father and son' which is found twice in the Sabhtiparvan of the MahabhArata, in an expanded version in the 31Arkau4eya Purina, and other versions of which are found in the Buddhist Jataka and in the Uttaradhyayana [...] The parable is thus explained by Vidura : The forest is the Saifasara, the round of existences in this world ; the beasts of prey are the diseases ; the hideous giant woman is old age ; the well is the body ; the dragon at the bottom of the well is Time ; the creepers in which the man is hanging is the lisope of life ; the elephant with six mouths and twelve feet is the Year with its six seasons a
literature fiction
Pages
133
Published in
India
SARF Document ID
sarf.100014
Segment Pages Author Actions
Frontmatter
i-iii M. Winternitz view
The Age of the Veda
1-20 M. Winternitz view
Ascetic Literature in Ancient India
21-40 M. Winternitz view
Ancient Indian Ballad Poetry
41-58 M. Winternitz view
Indian Literature and World-Literature
59-81 M. Winternitz view
Kautiliya Arthasastra
82-109 unknown view
Bhasa
110-130 M. Winternitz view

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